Currying

“ Pork gives a more delicate flavor to the fish than bacon.
Fish Curries.—Cold boiled or baked fish is simply a luxury when warmed up in a delicious curry sauce. This dish may be served at breakfast or luncheon. Americans are fast learning the usefulness of curry-powders; as yet they demand a mild form of curry, and a little flour is added to the sauce to tone down the pungency of the curry.
A Plain Fish Curry.—Fry an onion quite brown in a little butter or oil, add a teaspoonful of curry-powder and half a pint of hot water. Dissolve a teaspoonful of flour in a little cold water ”

“ What to Curry.
Turbot. Sole. Cod.
Lobster. Crayfish. Prawns,—but not the so-called “Dublin Prawn,” which is delicious when eaten plain boiled, but no good in a curry.
Whelks. [6] Oysters. Scallops.
Mutton. Veal. Pork. Calf’s Head. Ox Palate. Tripe. [6]
Eggs. Chicken. Rabbit (the “bunny” lends itself better than anything else to this method of cooking) . Pease. Kidney Beans. [6] Vegetable Marrow. Carrots. Parsnips. Bamboo Shoots. Locust Legs.
A mistaken notion has prevailed for some time amongst men and women who write books, that the Indian curry mixture is almost red-hot to the taste. ”

“ With regard to above, if care should be taken and make the Curries with any of the following meat:—Beef, mutton, chicken, fish, etc., etc., and vegetables, you will find it an economical dish for an English meal to have an Indian dish; if little care and attention is given to it, will find it as a relish. The same time I must say, many parties visited our Indian continent will know the taste of a Curry as well as my own experience. I have been instructed by several head cooks of India and Ceylon. My own people are cooks under several respected gentry of Ceylon and India. ”

“ We would recommend that for a delicate currie this should always be done; for a common one it is not necessary; and many persons prefer to have the whole of it left in this last. After the gravy has been worked through the strainer, and again boils, add to it from three to four dessertspoonsful of currie-powder, and one of flour, with as much salt as the gravy may require, the whole mixed to a smooth batter with a small cupful of good cream. ”

“ The enjoyment of a curry—and when skillfully made it is almost universally admitted to be one of the most attractive combinations which can be offered to the senses of taste and smell—is only possible at a limited repast. When freely eaten, very little is acceptable to the palate afterward, exhausted as it is by the pervading fragrance of the spice and other adjuncts. Hence a curry should form the climax of a short series of dishes leading up to it: when presented, as it sometimes is, among the entrées of a first course, it is wholly out of place. ”

“ Slice one onion, one large spoonful of chopped-up ham (fresh, best) or nice corned beef (cooked) , one green capsicum cut in quarters, one small teaspoon of saffron powder, pinch of cayenne pepper if preferred hot Curry, half-pint of milk, salt to taste. Now put all these into a clean stew-pan and set on fire for twenty minutes or more, simmer gently, and let it reduce to half-pint. When serving add few drops of lemon juice and a large spoon of cream. The above Curry Sauce is very nice for fish and vegetables. If it is cooked up vegetable or fish, just add ten minutes before serving. ”

“ CURRIE SAUCE. Stir a small quantity of currie powder in some gravy, melted butter, or onion sauce. This must be done by degrees, according to the taste, taking care not to put in too much of the currie powder.
CURRIE SOUP. Cut four pounds of a breast of veal into small pieces, put the trimmings into a stewpan with two quarts of water, twelve peppercorns, and the same of allspice. When it boils, skim it clean; and after boiling an hour and a half, strain it off. ”

“ I don't like curry at home, curry as English cooks know it—a greasy make-up of cold joint served with sodden rice; but this was different. First, rice was handed round, every particle firm and separate and white, and then a rich brown mixture with prawns and other interesting ingredients, which was the curry. You mix the curry with the rice, when a whole trayful of condiments is offered to eat with it, things like very thin water biscuits, Bombay duck—all sorts of chutney, and when you have mixed everything up together the result is one of the nicest dishes it has been my lot to taste. ”

“ In India the following ingredients are sometimes used, besides those above named: anise, almonds, asafœtida, butter (ghee) , cocoanut and cocoa oil, cream and curds, various nuts, garlic, lime juice, mangoes, saffron, salt, and tamarinds. In India alone there exist nearly forty different methods of preparing curry, to which list might be added the recipes of the numerous spice houses of Europe and America. [Pg 27] The ingredients of curry are always finely ground and well mixed. When lime-juice and butter or oil are added to the curry, a paste is prepared. ”

“ Fry one-half pound of meat, finely diced, with onion and curry powder. Add a little water from time to time, so that the meat will be tender and the onions soft. Then add two teacupfuls of water. As soon as water boils add a cupful of sliced radishes, potatoes, carrots, or any vegetables that will not mash. Cook slowly together until vegetables are soft. In India this curry is always acidulated, but that is not necessary. It is a good plan, however, to always serve sliced lemon with all curries, as some prefer them sour. ”

“ Any kind of cold meat may be made into curry. Fry onions and curry powder together until nicely browned. Then add enough flour to thicken, as in making gravy. Then add water or cocoanut milk. When gravy has thickened, add cold meat. Simmer slowly for a while. This curry is not so tasty as those made from fresh meat, and it is well to add a teaspoonful of Worcestershire sauce. ”

“ Lamb curry should always be served with hot rice, taking on your fork equal portions of both, increasing the amount of rice in case you find the curry too hot. Never drink water with curry, as it intensifies the burning sensation. The amount of curry powder used in the above recipe can be increased or decreased according to the individual taste. Cold cooked shrimps, lobster, veal or chicken may be used in place of lamb; but never beef. Personally I find that lamb produces the finest curry dish. ”

“ India Curry Wipe a slice of veal one-half inch thick, weighing one and one-half pounds, and cook in frying-pan without butter, quickly searing one side, then the other. Place on a board and cut in one and one-half inch pieces. Fry two sliced onions in one-half cup butter until brown, remove onions, and add to the butter, meat, and one-half tablespoon curry powder, then cover with boiling water. Cook slowly until meat is tender. Thicken with flour diluted with enough cold water to pour easily; then add one teaspoon vinegar. Serve with a border of steamed rice. ”

“ The cumin and coriander seeds are generally used roasted. The various materials are cleaned, dried, ground, sifted, thoroughly mixed and bottled. In the East the spices are ground freshly every day, which gives the Indian curry its superiority in flavour over dishes prepared with the curry-powders of the European market. ”

“ Any spice may be added if the curry powder is not highly seasoned. With chicken, rabbit, or fish, observe the same rule. Curry is made also with sweetbreads, breast of veal, veal cutlets, lamb, mutton or pork chops, lobster, turbot, soles, eels, oysters, &c. ”

“ Curry, as usually made in India, is not made with curry powder at all. Every Indian cook-house is provided with a smooth black stone about a foot and a half long and a foot wide. There is also a small stone roller. On this large stone, by means of the small stone, daily are crushed or ground the spices used in making curry. The usual ingredients are coriander seeds and leaves, dried hot chilies or peppers, caraway seeds, turmeric, onions, garlic, green ginger, and black pepper grains. ”

“ Put into a saucepan 1⁄4 pound butter with a little flour; cook together and stir till cool; then add a gill of cream, a little cayenne pepper, salt, and a dessert-spoonful of East India Curry Powder. Mix well together, and add 1 pound boiled crab meat, chopped fine; stir well together—make very hot and serve. The addition of a glass of white wine adds to the flavor of this curry. ”

“ Whilst the curry is stewing, take the brains from the water, and put them into a stewpan of boiling water, let simmer five minutes, after which chop very fine, and put them into a basin, with a good handful of bread-crumbs, a little white pepper, salt, and chopped parsley, mix well together with an egg, and form it into six little round balls, which egg and bread-crumb twice over, and fry in a little hot lard, of a very light brown color, then dress the curry upon a dish, lay the brain croquets round, and serve with rice separately. ”

“ The white Curry Sauce is not suitable, unless for a vegetable or fish.
I could give several other recipes to Curries, but the above said sixty will be quite sufficient. If you carefully tried the above said Curries will be found most economical.
A Madras woman can beat any other Indian woman in Curry cooking. In several gentry's houses in Madras, etc., they keep a woman to make Curries and prepare vegetables for table—we call her “Thanney Kareyitchi”—besides the cook and kitchen matey. ”

“ Whether it is good for one to eat as much hot stuff as one is expected to eat in India is a disputed point. In moderation, however, curry is not harmful, and is a very satisfactory and appetizing way of preparing scrappy and inexpensive meats. If carefully prepared, everybody is sure to like it. Do not introduce it, however, to your family as a mustard-colored stew of curry powder, onions, and cold meat served in the center of a platter with a wall of gummy rice enclosing it. ”

“ Squeeze in the juice of a lemon or a lime, and serve it very hot, in a deep dish, with plenty of gravy; the rice in another.—Stewed onions, stewed cucumbers, or stewed celery, brown, are good with curry. Serve pickles (melon mangoes most suitable) , and chili vinegar.—Veal cutlets fried with onions in butter, and stewed in gravy as above. Lamb, Duck, Cow-heel, and Lobster make good curries. Indeed tender steaks and mutton chops are also very good dressed in curry. ”

“ One tablespoon of curry powder, 1 heaping tablespoon of butter, 1 onion, 1⁄2 fresh cocoanut, juice of half a lemon, salt to taste. Curry powder to be mixed in 2 ozs. of water. Onion to be finely chopped. Cocoanut to be scraped and soaked in a teacup of boiling water, then squeezed, and the milk (or the liquid) to be put in the curry. First [54] cook the butter till it bubbles, put in the onion and let it brown, add the curry powder, and let that cook a few minutes; if it becomes too dry and sticks to the pan add a little hot water. ”

“ VEGETABLE CURRY. Use the ingredients given and proceed the same as for German lentil curry, using any cold steamed vegetables in season. The best curry, according to an Indian authority, is one made of potatoes, artichokes, carrots, pumpkin and tomatoes.
Note.—A writer in Cassell's Dictionary of Cookery says:—"A spoonful of cocoanut kernel dried and powdered gives a delicious flavour to a curry, as does also acid apple."
VI.—VEGETABLES. Never eat boiled vegetables. No one ever hears of a flesh-eater boiling his staple article of diet and throwing away the liquor. ”

“ But return we to our coriander seeds. There is absolutely no reason why the frugal housewife in this country should not make her own curry powder from day to day, as it may be required. Here is an average Indian recipe; but it must be remembered that in the gorgeous East tastes vary as much as elsewhere, and that Bengal, Bombay, Madras (including Burmah) , Ceylon, and the Straits Settlements, have all different methods of preparing a curry.
A few coriander and cumin seeds—according to taste—eight peppercorns, a small piece of turmeric, and one dried chili, all pounded together. ”

“ Cut an onion in very thin and very small slices; fry in butter, flour them while doing to thicken the butter; they must not burn. Take 1 tablespoonful curry powder, or be guided by the strength of it; place in a bowl, squeeze the juice of 1⁄2 lemon, add a pinch of salt, 1 teacupful rich gravy or stock, 1⁄2 teacupful milk or a little cream, stir all together well; boil some eggs hard, take off the shells, cut them into quarters or halves, stir your curry powder that has been mixed as before directed; let all boil together, and when boiling take off the fire and put in the eggs ”

“ Rabbit Curry:—Dress two rabbits and boil till the flesh will come off the bones. Take the bones out and put the meat in the kettle with a large cupful of the water in which it was boiled. (Do not use too much of this liquor; it will make the curry taste rank.) ”

“ Send to table with rice. Don't forget to add lemon juice or vinegar.
No. 19.—GAME CURRIES (Various) .
The Game Curry I mean is thus:—elk; venisons; poultry, as turkey, geese, duck, etc.; rabbit, etc. Can be curried same as No. 4, but it is not nicer to make them into a yellow Curry, as for fish or vegetables.
No. 20.—RABBIT OR YOUNG HARE CURRY.
N.B.—I think the Rabbit made into a gleeced brown stew much nicer than putting it in a jar, and prepare like a jugged hare, as it takes away all the flavour, and the gravy tastes nice, and the meat almost like the soup meat or plain boiled meat ”

“ Then I maintain that to curry whitebait is wrong; partly because curry should on no account be served [Pg 142] before roast and boiled, and partly because the flavour of the whitebait is too delicate for the fish to be clad in spices and onions. The lesson which all dinner-givers ought to have learnt from the Ancient Romans—the first people on record who went in for æsthetic cookery—is that highly-seasoned and well-peppered dishes should figure at the end, and not the commencement of a banquet. Here follows a list of some of the productions of Nature which it is allowable to curry. ”